The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to come out of the Chicago-based airplane manufacturer’s South Carolina plant was celebrated recently at a function in North Charleston. The aircraft will undergo a string of systems checks and engine runs before taking to the air locally, in preparation for its flight across the Atlantic Ocean to India’s Mumbai International Airport and delivery to Air India. Speaking at the event, Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer, Jim Albaugh noted that the rolling out of an airplane from the company’s third final assembly site in South Carolina was a proud moment for Boeing.

Air India will take delivery of the history-making aircraft in mid-2012. It will be the second Boeing 787 Dreamliner of its 27-aircraft order, with the first having been delivered in March from the aircraft manufacturer’s Washington plant. Three more 787’s are to be delivered by the end of the year, with the balance expected in 2013.

Launched in April 2004, with initial orders for 851 airplanes valued at more than $175 billion, from sixty customers, the 787 goes on record for the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing’s history. Following a number of delays in manufacture, the first 787 Dreamliner flight took place on 15 December 2009, with the first airline to fly the plane, All Nippon Airlines of Japan, taking delivery on 25 September 2011. Although the company has reportedly had 25 order cancellations this year, they have secured 19 new orders for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Private Russian airline, Transaero, has ordered four of the airplanes, while Japan remains the biggest buyer.

Boeing South Carolina vice president and general manager Jack Jones noted that every one of the teammates at the South Carolina plant should be proud of the historic accomplishment of building airplanes to meet Boeing’s high quality standards, while at the same time maintaining an exceptional workplace safety record. Jim Albaugh endorsed this view by welcoming the South Carolina team into a “small and elite fraternity … of workers who have built one of the most complex machines in the world – a commercial airplane.”

With its headquarters based in Mumbai, India, and a significant presence in Australia, the Mahindra Group launched its Aerospace Division in 2007 for the purpose of extending its design and manufacturing expertise in the rapidly developing aerospace industry. The latest achievement of the Mahindra Aerospace Division is the five-seat all-metal NM5 aircraft, developed over a three year period as a collaborative project between the Mahindra Group and the state-run CSIR National Aerospace Laboratories. Considered to be a milestone in India’s domestic civil aviation, as well as a notable achievement in partnerships between the public and private sector, it is anticipated that the NM5 will help to revolutionize Indian transportation over the next ten years.

With five successful tests completed in the past ten days, the next step is to qualify for Federal Aviation Regulation 23 (FAR23) certification for safety. FAR23 sets comprehensive safety standards to be met for airworthiness, including areas such as stability, performance, structural loads, airframe, safety mechanisms, oxygen and air pressurization systems, construction of seats, escape hatches, fire prevention, flight control communications, flight management procedures, and emergency landing procedures. It also stipulates aspects of performance including rate of climb, take off speed, stall speed, and the weight restrictions of pilot and passengers.

It is anticipated that obtaining FAR23 certification for the new aircraft could take up to six months. Upon FAR23 certification, the aircraft will proceed to commercial development and is expected to be marketed at around US$400,000. It will also be the only five-seat airplane in its class. The plane is powered by a Lycoming IO-540 engine. The prototype was built by a team at the Australia-based Mahindra Aerospace subsidiary, GippsAero, over a period of ten months. Current and future flight testing is being done at this facility in Melbourne.

In a recent press release, the Mahindra Group Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Anand Mahindra, was quoted as saying that the maiden flight of the NM5 was a matter of great pride for the company and is part of their goal to provide transportation solutions to isolated communities. It was also noted that the NM5 complements the growing range of light utility aircraft manufactured by Mahindra Aerospace, all of which are designed to meet global safety standards and are able to operate in varied environments.

The 8th International Exhibition on Aerospace, Defence & Civil Aviation, or Aero India 2011, is organised by the Ministry of Defence in India. Large numbers of exhibitors from a variety of countries will be participating in this event. Visitors will also be pleased to see a static displays as well as flight displays by the Indian Air Force. There are also new product launches, seminars, workshops and other events to look forward to.

It is going to be the world’s first and much excitement is growing in the aviation industry as the new project to create an integrated aviation university gets under way. This joint venture will see all aspects of aviation being taught and studied at one facility. The university, which will be named the CAPA AeroPark, should be completed in 2010 and will be constructed in Bangalore, India. Students and faculty members will be able to make use of a variety of facilities, all aimed at enhancing the entire aviation industry.

The Subramanya Construction and Development Company, which is based in Bangalore, recently signed an agreement with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Sydney, to begin the construction of the CAPA AeroPark, in which $125 million will be invested into this joint project. A site of fifty acres has been set aside for the university, and every field of aviation will be offered at the campus. Needless to say, state-of-the-art technology will be brought in for the development of the students. Also, satellite academies will be made available for students in Mumbai and Delhi. Even cabin crew, air traffic controllers, regulators and airport management staff will be able to gain from the university. Student pilots will have flight simulators and a flying school, while research centers, engineering workshops and laboratories open a new door of opportunity for students. As the demand for air travel increases each year, a shortfall of pilots is experienced, and the CAPA AeroPark hopes to assist in training new, highly skilled pilots for the aviation industry.

Over and above the educational facilities, the university will have accommodation available for faculty members and students, a convention centre, recreational facilities and even a hotel for visitors. Amit Dasgupta, the Consul General of India in Sydney, Australia, was quoted saying: “This facility is in response to a felt need for trained aviation personnel in India given the rapid growth that is envisaged in India’s aviation industry over the next few years. It further enhances the growing Australia-India trade and investment relations.”

Aero India has not been established very long yet it is already growing so much in size that this year it will officially be the biggest air show in Asia. The event is organized by the Ministry of Defense and the Government of India in association with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Department of Space, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Union Ministry For Civil Aviation.

The India Aviation 2008 is an exciting event for the country, as well as the aviation industry in India. In recent years India has seen a growth in the aviation industry, with the two main airlines operating in the country, Air Sahara and Jet Airways, gaining competition with the introduction of various other airlines into the market, including Indigo, Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet. With the increase of private airlines, the industry has opened up doors to give way to business ventures and opportunities in regard to maintenance and repair of aircrafts, aircraft manufacturing, development of infrastructures and various employment prospects in the airline service field.